Noel Gallagher has revealed that one of the most infamous splits in rock and roll stemmed from a row about an ad in an Oasis tour programme.

The guitarist, launching his solo album, finally broke his silence about his departure from the band, explaining that it spiralled from a squabble about brother Liam's demands for a free plug for his clothing range.

Noel quit the group in 2009 after years of tension between the pair.

He said that on the night of his departure - which led to the cancellation of a headline slot at a Paris festival - Liam stormed into the dressing room wielding a guitar like "an axe". "He nearly took my face off with it," he said.

Noel said he regretted the way the band ended, splitting with just two shows to play. He added that if the group had finished the tour and had time to reflect, "we'd never have split up".

Noel is to launch his post-Oasis career with a new album, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, on October 17.

Noel revealed that tensions had been heightened on the night of the Paris showdown because the band had been forced to cancel a headline slot at the UK's V festival because Liam had failed to show up.

Noel said he had had no desire to leave Oasis - it was simply that he could no longer continue being in a band with his brother. "I'd never had enough of Oasis - I'd had enough of him," he said.

"It started to unravel when he started his clothing label (Pretty Green) and he demanded that in the Oasis tour programme he be allowed to advertise.

"And I didn't think it was right for him to be flogging his gear to our fans."